IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v17y2020i15p5376-d389997.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Migrant Women’s Access to Sexual and Reproductive Health Services in Malaysia: A Qualitative Study

Author

Listed:
  • Tharani Loganathan

    (Centre for Epidemiology and Evidence-based Practice, Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur 50603, Malaysia)

  • Zhie X. Chan

    (International Institute for Global Health (UNU-IIGH), United Nations University, Kuala Lumpur 56000, Malaysia)

  • Allard W. de Smalen

    (International Institute for Global Health (UNU-IIGH), United Nations University, Kuala Lumpur 56000, Malaysia
    Maastricht Graduate School of Governance, Maastricht University, 6211 AX Maastricht, The Netherlands
    Maastricht Economic and Social Research Institute on Innovation and Technology (UNU-MERIT), United Nations University, 6211 AX Maastricht, The Netherlands)

  • Nicola S. Pocock

    (International Institute for Global Health (UNU-IIGH), United Nations University, Kuala Lumpur 56000, Malaysia
    Gender Violence & Health Centre, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London WC1E 7HT, UK)

Abstract

Providing sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services to migrant workers is key to fulfilling sustainable developmental goals. This study aims to explore key informants’ views on the provision of SRH services for migrant women in Malaysia, exploring the provision of SRH education, contraception, abortion, antenatal and delivery, as well as the management of gender-based violence. In-depth interviews of 44 stakeholders were conducted from July 2018 to July 2019. Data were thematically analysed. Migrant workers that fall pregnant are unable to work legally and are subject to deportation. Despite this, we found that insufficient SRH information and contraceptive access are provided, as these are seen to encourage promiscuity. Pregnancy, rather than sexually transmitted infection prevention, is a core concern among migrant women, the latter of which is not adequately addressed by private providers. Abortions are often seen as the only option for pregnant migrants. Unsafe abortions occur which are linked to financial constraints and cultural disapproval, despite surgical abortions being legal in Malaysia. Pregnant migrants often delay care-seeking, and this may explain poor obstetric outcomes. Although health facilities for gender-based violence are available, non-citizen women face additional barriers in terms of discrimination and scrutiny by authorities. Migrant women face extremely limited options for SRH services in Malaysia and these should be expanded.

Suggested Citation

  • Tharani Loganathan & Zhie X. Chan & Allard W. de Smalen & Nicola S. Pocock, 2020. "Migrant Women’s Access to Sexual and Reproductive Health Services in Malaysia: A Qualitative Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(15), pages 1-18, July.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:17:y:2020:i:15:p:5376-:d:389997
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/17/15/5376/pdf
    Download Restriction: no

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/17/15/5376/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Nicola Suyin Pocock & Zhie Chan & Tharani Loganathan & Rapeepong Suphanchaimat & Hathairat Kosiyaporn & Pascale Allotey & Wei-Kay Chan & David Tan, 2020. "Moving towards culturally competent health systems for migrants? Applying systems thinking in a qualitative study in Malaysia and Thailand," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 15(4), pages 1-24, April.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Sorhaindo, Annik Mahalia & Lavelanet, Antonella Francheska, 2022. "Why does abortion stigma matter? A scoping review and hybrid analysis of qualitative evidence illustrating the role of stigma in the quality of abortion care," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 311(C).
    2. Lillian Mwanri & Nelsensius Klau Fauk & William Mude & Hailay Abrha Gesesew, 2022. "Migration, Resilience, Vulnerability and Migrants’ Health," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(18), pages 1-2, September.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Watinee Kunpeuk & Pard Teekasap & Hathairat Kosiyaporn & Sataporn Julchoo & Mathudara Phaiyarom & Pigunkaew Sinam & Nareerut Pudpong & Rapeepong Suphanchaimat, 2020. "Understanding the Problem of Access to Public Health Insurance Schemes among Cross-Border Migrants in Thailand through Systems Thinking," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(14), pages 1-19, July.
    2. Sadatoshi Matsuoka & Madhu Kharel & Kyoko Koto-Shimada & Maiko Hashimoto & Hiroyuki Kiyohara & Azusa Iwamoto & Mika Nishihara & Masami Fujita, 2022. "Access to Health-Related Information, Health Services, and Welfare Services among South and Southeast Asian Immigrants in Japan: A Qualitative Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(19), pages 1-12, September.
    3. Serena Clark & Malcolm MacLachlan & Kevin Marshall & Niall Morahan & Claire Carroll & Karen Hand & Neasa Boyle & Katriona O’Sullivan, 2022. "Including Digital Connection in the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals: A Systems Thinking Approach for Achieving the SDGs," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(3), pages 1-13, February.
    4. Daniel Vujcich & Meagan Roberts & Tyler Selway & Barbara Nattabi, 2023. "The Application of Systems Thinking to the Prevention and Control of Sexually Transmissible Infections among Adolescents and Adults: A Scoping Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(9), pages 1-27, May.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:17:y:2020:i:15:p:5376-:d:389997. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.